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The holidays are cancelled, and so are in-person classes in most of the country. It’s going to be a long winter, with many parents also working from home. So how can you keep children from misbehaving?

It used to be enough to tell them St. Nick was watching, so unless they wanted a stocking full of coal, they better shape up. That threat won’t cut it this year, when they know damn well Santa Claus’s gift-giving is likely to be curbed by your governor’s COVID restrictions.

Thankfully, our European brothers and sisters have you covered. They’ve had many more centuries of experience when it comes to keeping kids in line. Especially around Christmas. Here are seven terrifying characters drawn from European folklore that will have your children thinking twice about misbehaving this December.

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Looking for more balance in your screen time to reading ratio? We’ve got you covered. It’s National App Day and we’re using it as an excuse to pair some of our favorite apps with some stellar complimentary books. Because it’s very rude that our phones tell us how much screen time we’ve been indulging in – but we should probably read more, just in case.

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It’s the holiday season and our ovens are getting an extra workout with all of the cookies, pies, and cakes we’re making. And if you missed the bread baking trend the first time around, now is a great time to get into it! We’re big fans of The Great British Baking Show over here, so we decided to combine three of our favorite things – gentle reality TV, baking, and reading – into one delicious blog post. Because, admit it. You’ve always wondered what would happen if your favorite books competed in a showstopper challenge. 

Photo of Momo, taken by Andrew Knapp

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for dogs. I even surround myself with people that share this affinity. My friend Kyla, in fact, carries a measuring tape with her at all times in case she needs to find out how long a dog is. If a home without a dog is just a house, then a book without a dog is probably just a dissertation of some sort. I have another children’s book coming out in May 2021, Let's Find Momo Outdoors!, which is not in time for the holidays. So, I wanted to make a list for your holiday season of books that are available and wonderful. Of course, my big rule is there must be at least one dog in the book.

Looking for the perfect '90s playlist to listen to while you read This is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey? No problem! Anna curated this playlist just for you. 

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The series we’ve been waiting for all year is finally on Netflix: Selena. Whether you’re a '90s kid who had Selena’s music on heavy rotation or someone who just discovered the wonder of the Queen of Tejano music, we’re happy you’re here. To celebrate this series, and to send ourselves on a musical blast from the past, we’re pairing some of our favorite Selena songs with some of our favorite books by Mexican-American novelists.